Ohio Jones
Game on...
CD - Ottawa
The Columbus Blue Jackets made several moves this weekend at the league's 2005 HFNHL Entry Draft to shore up a development system that was looking a little less than deep following the graduations of Joni Pitkanen, Jim Vandermeer and Michael Leighton, and the big club's playoff run in the league's last full season, 2003/04 that saw the team acquire veterans Adrian Aucoin, Niklas Sundstrom, Glen Wesley, Brendan Shanahan and Martin Brodeur.
With only one pick in the draft's first day (thanks again to that trading frenzy), the Jackets acquitted themselves well, adding strong two-way LW James Neal (Plymouth, OHL) with the 47th pick overall.
"We were tempted to trade up to make sure we got him", said GM Doug Emerson, "but we suspected that other scouts had overlooked him. I'm glad we were right. He's a very young kid who only just qualified for this year's draft, but he showed a ton of improvement in his first full season in the O(HL). He looks to have the makings of a power forward that contributes with smart, tough hockey at both ends of the ice. He's got a good scorer's mentality. We just have to see him continue his development and show that he can sustain his level of play throughout an entire season."
With Neal added to the system up front, and only two picks left for the draft's second day (Rounds 5 and 6), Emerson turned to free agency to pick up players his scouts felt could help the farm system.
First up was D Steven Later (Brandon, WHL). The former MJHL All-Star tried the US College route before turning to the CHL, where he bounced around for a year before joining Brandon. There, however, he came into his own, scoring 11 points in 17 games in the 2004 playoffs, then adding 84 points in 93 games in the 2004/05 season (regular + playoffs) along with 304 pim and a +26. The big-bodied defenceman (6-4/204) will dress for the Jackets affiliate Syracuse Crunch (AHL) in 2005/06.
THe Jackets also signed a troika of US College goaltenders, leaving them with a full stable in net. G Dan Yacey (Dartmouth), G Tuomas Tarkki (), and Steve Silverthorn (Colgate) will all vie for a spot on the Crunch roster. All three boasted superb Senior years between the pipes, and offer an intriguing mix of styles for the Jackets' goaltending coach to work with. With Mike Smith expected to start in Syracuse (unless he can unseat Michael Leighton as Martin Brodeur's backup in training camp), the remaining two will split goaltending duties in the ECHL (although Tarkki may be lent to a team in Finland's SM Liiga to ensure he gets enough starts).
This injection of youth helps to offset some of the losses in the Jackets' system, but holes remain - especially up front. While Ryan Potulny is developing well, he's not thought of as a candidate for top-line pivot in the HFNHL, yet he is the best of the Jackets' center prospects. The team will have to hope that Henrik Sedin can take his game up a couple of notches this year, or they'll be in trouble when Jeremy Roenick becomes a free agent at the end of the season.
Same goes on the wings: the Jackets are currently relying on many aging veterans (most notably RW Brendan Shanahan, who himself becomes unrestricted next summer): 2003 first-rounder Steve Bernier is looking like more of a project than the team had originally hoped, and while the Jackets have some respectable depth on the right side, there isn't any other talent in the system that looks like first-line material. And Neal - who projects out as a second-line power forward, and is currently the best of the team's LW prospects - i years away from the HFNHL.
It's looking more and more like the Jackets will have to rely on scoring by committee, and the offensive development of role-players in their system in order to compete after this season. Names to keep an eye on are Darren Haydar and Noah Clarke, both of whom have the speed and offensive instincts to potentially benefit from the proposed rules changes. While they may not crack the lineup at the start of this season, they'll be counted on to contribute in 2006.
Another intriguing player to keep tabs on is RW Jaroslav Balastik, who has led Zlin of the Czech Extraligua in scoring the past two seasons, and who may finally (at age 26) be ready to come over to North America. If he does, he might force the Jackets to make a trade in order to make room for him on the big club. Certainly there have been no shortage of offers for some of the Jackets' wingers, a position which is apparently thin for many HFNHL GMs. It remains to be seen, however, whether Balastik will come over from Europe and if he does, whether he makes enough of an impact to earn a regular roster spot.
The Jackets are well-positioned to ride out the new economics and once again ice a team that should challenge in the post-season. This season, anyway.
Next year? That's anybody's guess.
Milo Minderbinder
Columbus Discoverer
The Columbus Blue Jackets made several moves this weekend at the league's 2005 HFNHL Entry Draft to shore up a development system that was looking a little less than deep following the graduations of Joni Pitkanen, Jim Vandermeer and Michael Leighton, and the big club's playoff run in the league's last full season, 2003/04 that saw the team acquire veterans Adrian Aucoin, Niklas Sundstrom, Glen Wesley, Brendan Shanahan and Martin Brodeur.
With only one pick in the draft's first day (thanks again to that trading frenzy), the Jackets acquitted themselves well, adding strong two-way LW James Neal (Plymouth, OHL) with the 47th pick overall.
"We were tempted to trade up to make sure we got him", said GM Doug Emerson, "but we suspected that other scouts had overlooked him. I'm glad we were right. He's a very young kid who only just qualified for this year's draft, but he showed a ton of improvement in his first full season in the O(HL). He looks to have the makings of a power forward that contributes with smart, tough hockey at both ends of the ice. He's got a good scorer's mentality. We just have to see him continue his development and show that he can sustain his level of play throughout an entire season."
With Neal added to the system up front, and only two picks left for the draft's second day (Rounds 5 and 6), Emerson turned to free agency to pick up players his scouts felt could help the farm system.
First up was D Steven Later (Brandon, WHL). The former MJHL All-Star tried the US College route before turning to the CHL, where he bounced around for a year before joining Brandon. There, however, he came into his own, scoring 11 points in 17 games in the 2004 playoffs, then adding 84 points in 93 games in the 2004/05 season (regular + playoffs) along with 304 pim and a +26. The big-bodied defenceman (6-4/204) will dress for the Jackets affiliate Syracuse Crunch (AHL) in 2005/06.
THe Jackets also signed a troika of US College goaltenders, leaving them with a full stable in net. G Dan Yacey (Dartmouth), G Tuomas Tarkki (), and Steve Silverthorn (Colgate) will all vie for a spot on the Crunch roster. All three boasted superb Senior years between the pipes, and offer an intriguing mix of styles for the Jackets' goaltending coach to work with. With Mike Smith expected to start in Syracuse (unless he can unseat Michael Leighton as Martin Brodeur's backup in training camp), the remaining two will split goaltending duties in the ECHL (although Tarkki may be lent to a team in Finland's SM Liiga to ensure he gets enough starts).
This injection of youth helps to offset some of the losses in the Jackets' system, but holes remain - especially up front. While Ryan Potulny is developing well, he's not thought of as a candidate for top-line pivot in the HFNHL, yet he is the best of the Jackets' center prospects. The team will have to hope that Henrik Sedin can take his game up a couple of notches this year, or they'll be in trouble when Jeremy Roenick becomes a free agent at the end of the season.
Same goes on the wings: the Jackets are currently relying on many aging veterans (most notably RW Brendan Shanahan, who himself becomes unrestricted next summer): 2003 first-rounder Steve Bernier is looking like more of a project than the team had originally hoped, and while the Jackets have some respectable depth on the right side, there isn't any other talent in the system that looks like first-line material. And Neal - who projects out as a second-line power forward, and is currently the best of the team's LW prospects - i years away from the HFNHL.
It's looking more and more like the Jackets will have to rely on scoring by committee, and the offensive development of role-players in their system in order to compete after this season. Names to keep an eye on are Darren Haydar and Noah Clarke, both of whom have the speed and offensive instincts to potentially benefit from the proposed rules changes. While they may not crack the lineup at the start of this season, they'll be counted on to contribute in 2006.
Another intriguing player to keep tabs on is RW Jaroslav Balastik, who has led Zlin of the Czech Extraligua in scoring the past two seasons, and who may finally (at age 26) be ready to come over to North America. If he does, he might force the Jackets to make a trade in order to make room for him on the big club. Certainly there have been no shortage of offers for some of the Jackets' wingers, a position which is apparently thin for many HFNHL GMs. It remains to be seen, however, whether Balastik will come over from Europe and if he does, whether he makes enough of an impact to earn a regular roster spot.
The Jackets are well-positioned to ride out the new economics and once again ice a team that should challenge in the post-season. This season, anyway.
Next year? That's anybody's guess.
Milo Minderbinder
Columbus Discoverer